Let me acknowledge as usual that the above heading is far from being original. It is an adaptation of the title of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ book, Love in the Time of Cholera. Let me acknowledge as well that most of the words I shall use in this treatise shall be borrowed from men who are far wiser and more experienced than I am. Kindly forgive me if you find my train of thoughts incongruous. That is the folly of borrowing a little from the left and a little from the right.

So here we go!

‘People in enterprise, in government are by and large well intentioned. They’d like to get things done. To be of service to others. But they’re thwarted at every step of the way by absurd organizational barriers… and by the egos of petty tyrants (Tom Peters 2012). The leaders we elected and organizations we created have become tyrants. ‘They have taken control , holding us fettered, creating barriers that hinder rather than help our businesses (Tom Peters 2012). The men that we have dutifully polished and raised up have turned themselves into deities that must be appeased at every turn before rain can fall on our farmlands. At every turn, what we are being offered as returns on our sweat equity are walls, barriers and tyrannous leadership!!’

Nigeria is a very religious nation where citizens accept whatever befalls them as inevitable even when our misadventures are self inflicted. That our leaders built walls is our fate. That they turn to tyrants is our lot and we are told at all times to give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. We forget easily that there is no record in any of the holy books of God accepting that tyrannous leadership is just. Why else did He visit His wrath upon the families of all the tyrannical Pharaohs of old? Can it logical to accept the tyranny of leaders as just especially when such leaders are modern incarnates of the most unjust Pharaohs?

It’s time we took control.

2019 has dawned on us. Not like a thief in the night. Naw! We had 365 days to plan for it. But are we ready to embrace what 2019 has in stock for us? Are we still stuck in the past hopping endlessly to turn things around by doing things the way it was always done? Are we moving into the new year with old glasses colored by the shades of our religions, ethnicity and political inclinations? This is 2019, not 1920! It is the year in which ‘people would experience the power that comes from taking responsibility for their lives. Welcome to ‘the year in which you would have the power to unleash your power to make choices that are at variance with the choices of leaders who have for long quashed your ability to make choices’. Welcome to the year of disruptive politics.

A few days ago, a friend drew my attention to a recent visit of Governor Ibikunke Amosun of Ogun State to President Muhammadu Buhari at his Aso Villa Office, on which occasion Governor Amosu delivered a letter of adoption of President Buhari as its Presidential candidate by an unknown political party with the acronym APM. The irony of Governor Amosu’s action and President Buhari’s acceptance of the Greek gift is that Mr. President has unwittingly given credence to an anomaly. Whenever anomalies are given officials seals of acceptance, they become the new norm. So, No one should be surprised if other Governors who have their legs spread between different political parties are emboldened to submit similar letters to either PMB or Atiku Abubakar whose candidature has been endorsed by the coalition of United Political parties (CUPP) to which Action Alliance (the adopted child of some aggrieved APC Governors) belong. Nothing should really surprise anyone anymore. Disruption is after all the new deal. How best can one disrupt a china shop than introduce an elephant into its center? The All Progressives Congress has so many fat cows within its ranks. Like the elephant in a china shop, they offer only one promise…

2019 is significant for our nation and so many of our countrymen because it offers another opportunity to elect our leaders. Will it be same of the same? Are we willing to try out new ideas and new things? Should we continue to respect leaders who have no respect for our people? Should we continue to embrace leaders who equate the electorate with cows that are fed only preparatory to being milked?’ Come to think of it, who were these elected leaders before we propelled them to high offices with our votes? Who made them gods over us? What gives them so much confidence to assume that the electorates are like cattle that could be herded in the direction of their choice? Isn’t it our choice that we accepted to be enslaved by these leaders who built high walls of tyranny around?

As we march toward the 2019 elections let it be known that a new order is upon us. This new order would not be defined by the logo of the political parties but by the quality of the candidates. It would not be defined by religion, race, ethnicity or creed but by the value propositions espoused by the candidates. It will not be defined by the heavy footprints of the fat cows but by the malnourished thumbs of the small fries. This is the era of disruption and we must all be prepared for the dynamics of disruption. No rules! No boundaries! Nothing is beyond being disrupted. All is fair!

We must give kudos to Governor Ibikunle Amosun who is leading the disruption within the ruling party, for having the courage to spearhead a new political order. After all If we continue to do things the way it was always done one would leave a lot of opportunities undiscovered. Change does not come from doing the same things over an over, it comes from trying out new things. Now that we all know that a leader can have one leg here and another leg hither whilst those who labored to elect him die from hunger, it is time we joined them to embrace the new order of disruption.